Shadows of Fear
by Traycer
Summary: The greatest fear is the fear of the unknown. Jack and his team find this out the hard way.
1. Chapter 1

**Warnings: **Mild language and tragic situations (NO major character death)  
**Summary:** The greatest fear is the fear of the unknown.  
**Author's Notes:** I don't know why these kinds of stories come to me, although this particular one dawned as I was listening to Loreena McKinnett. That woman lives for tragedy. *g* Many thanks go out to Diane, as always, for her fantastic beta skills. And just to clarify, all mistakes are my own.

* * *

**The Shadows of Fear**

"There is nothing to fear, but fear itself." -- Franklin Roosevelt

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They traipsed through the woods; the strangers did, their boots barely making a sound on the frozen ground. Not like the Traveler, who came in with the wind, his arrival marked only by his presence next to her when she least expected it. She stopped to watch the people, looking at their shadows, afraid that she would see the demons of their fears following along behind. But their demons stared curiously back at her, not like the snarling ones that sometimes came into her woods with other strangers, so she went back to her play, knowing that she need not worry. These people won't hurt her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was an odd sight. Jack O'Neill noticed her as soon as he and his team rounded the bend. There was a little girl playing in the woods on a cold, snowy afternoon. She was alone, as far as Jack could see, skipping around the trees and jumping from logs and rocks, stopping every few minutes to stare at Jack and his team. He wondered whether he should say something, but she kept her distance and Jack figured to respect her wishes.

He continued to walk down the path behind his teammates as they headed for their destination, a small town several klicks away from the Stargate. The UAV had gone down somewhere in the vicinity of the village, which made this trip a double feature. Meet and greet the natives, while locating the UAV to bring it back to base. It was a standard mission, marred by the vision of a lonely little girl who shouldn't be out this far from home, especially in this weather.

"Jack?"

"I see her, Daniel." How could he not, he thought. She was dressed in a long white dress and a dark blue shawl, both billowing out as she played in the wind. Even with snow on the ground and the trees, she was clearly visible as she danced in the woods.

"Shouldn't we stop to talk to her?"

"We don't want to scare her," Carter said, apparently agreeing with Jack's assessment. "We're not that far from the town we saw through the UAV. She's probably just out playing."

Daniel nodded, but Jack could see that he was still debating the issue. Teal'c, on the other hand, kept up the pace, leading his teammates through the gloom as late afternoon sunlight streamed in through the leaves. The snow tapered off, but the wind still shook the branches of the trees, scattering flurries in all directions. Jack shivered involuntarily when a strong gust sailed past him as they walked down the path. He couldn't help but worry about the little girl. She shouldn't be out in the woods in this weather.

To hell with it, he thought. He stopped and turned toward the child. The least he could do is try to get her to go home. But before he could even speak, the little girl took off at a run, her long brown hair flying behind her. So much for not scaring her, Jack thought grumpily. He hated it when he did that.

"Where'd she go?" Daniel asked with surprise.

"Home, I hope," Carter said with feeling. "It's too cold out here for such a little girl."

"Let's keep moving," Jack told them, his breath frosting in the air as he spoke. "It will be dark soon and I'm already freezing my ass off." Carter nodded, while Daniel kept looking off into the woods where the little girl had once played.

"Think she'll be all right?" he asked. "What was she doing out there in the first place?"

Jack just shrugged. He didn't have an answer and he figured Daniel probably didn't expect one anyway. He flexed his fingers, hoping to find a little warmth, even as he scanned the area for anything else out of the ordinary. This was a mission, like any other he had experienced back home, as well as on various planets throughout the universe. The woods they traipsed through smelled just like the ones on Earth; the aroma of wet dirt, dead leaves, and mossy patches on the rocks and trees reminded Jack of camping trips he took with his father. He relished in the memories even as he kept a watchful eye for natives, danger, or a certain little girl who didn't have enough sense to stay home in weather like this.

They walked a few more miles before coming to a complete stop when Teal'c held up his hand. Jack pushed past Daniel and Carter in order to find out what was going on, but relaxed slightly when he saw their earlier visitor standing in the road staring at them. She was a beautiful child, with long, dark, wavy hair framing a pale face, but Jack became seriously concerned when he saw that her dark eyes were filled with tears. Still, he had been through too many wars to let his guard down completely. The enemy had been known to use their children as bait, relying on the fact that most people valued the life of a child. He held out a hand to hold Daniel back, while keeping his eyes on the girl.

"Hello there," he said kindly. "Are you lost?"

She shook her head, causing tears to fall down her cheeks. She was shivering violently, but took a step back when Jack offered her his hand.

"I am so cold," she said, her words coming out strong and clear through chattering teeth.

"Here," Carter said, as she shrugged out of her backpack. "I have a blanket you could use." Jack glanced over at Carter, wanting to warn her to be careful, but Carter knew the rules as well as he did. She took out the blanket and held it out to the child, keeping her own distance as she did so.

The little girl stared at Carter with a look of sadness that nearly broke Jack's heart. Something was wrong here, but before he could react, the girl grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her shoulders, all the while staring at them with an almost haunting look. She gave them a trembling smile, then turned and ran off down the path in the same direction Jack and his team were heading. He and Daniel exchanged looks of exasperation, while Carter immediately took offense.

"Hey!" she yelled, but the girl was gone, almost as if she hadn't been there in the first place. The whole situation gave Jack the creeps. Carter, however was more upset than anything.

"She took my blanket!"

Jack, being who he was, couldn't help but inject a little teasing while the opportunity was still fresh. "Looks like you lost your blanket, Carter," he said with a smirk. "I'd be glad to share mine with you." He waggled his eyebrows at her, then said, "You know, in case you get cold."

She looked at him in surprise, then shook her head as she rolled her eyes. "A true gentleman would have offered to give me his blanket," she said, her own expression telling Jack that she didn't believe him for a minute. Jack just stared at her in disbelief. He wasn't about to freeze to death for anybody, all chivalry aside.

"I do not believe that O'Neill would allow you to suffer through the night without a blanket, Major Carter."

"There. See?" Jack said, pleased that someone was willing to side with him. "At least Teal'c believes in me." Teal'c bowed his head in agreement, while Jack looked around once more, a sense of ill ease tingling despite his attempts to lighten the mood. "Let's just get a move on, shall we?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The day was almost over.

Although she lived out her destiny every single day, she was always surprised when evening brought on a bone chilling cold. She clutched the blanket around her shoulders, mourning the lack of warmth. She shivered with cold, listening to the strangers as they followed the path that she took. They were not like the others, those with the snarling shadows who would laugh and try to catch her. No, these people wanted to help, even giving her a blanket to ward off a chill that would never go away. She smiled sadly again as she let the blanket drop from her shoulders. They were good people, but she should have known that the blanket would not help. She turned toward the woods, her home away from home. She had one more thing to do. No matter that she dreaded it with all her being, she could not escape her destiny.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They took off down the road again, with Teal'c back in the lead and Jack pulling up the rear. They had traveled a short distance when they found Carter's blanket. It was hanging on a branch, the girl nowhere in sight. Carter picked up the blanket, a worried look on her face as she scanned the woods in the growing darkness. Jack joined her in her search, trying desperately to see past the deepening shadows that appeared through the snowy mists. The wind grew colder with the oncoming darkness, and the kid's only protection from freezing was a shawl.

"She must have gone home," Carter said with a worried frown. "Right?"

"Yeah," Daniel said, although it was clear that he had his doubts, as well.

Jack just shook his head to say that he didn't know. "It's getting dark," he told his friends. "She's probably warming her toes at the fire as we speak." He motioned for Teal'c to take the lead again, wanting nothing more than to find someplace warm.

"Wait, there she is!" Daniel said, as he pointed off toward a tree stump in the distance. Jack followed his gaze, then shook his head in disgust. The damn kid was sitting on the stump, staring at them, and Jack squelched the urge to run over there to scold her within an inch of her life. What was she doing out in the freaking cold?

He followed the others as they walked slowly toward the child. She was so skittish, he was afraid she would take off on them again. But she didn't move, even when Carter went over and knelt down beside her. But she did pull back when Carter moved to touch her arm, which prompted Carter to sit back on her heels.

"Why are you out here in the cold?" she asked the child, who stared at them with a look of sadness, mixed with fear. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

The girl shook her head, fear now overshadowing her expression. "I can't go home," she said, her voice quivering with emotion. She turned to look at Jack, her eyes pleading, "I can never go home again."

"Sure you can," Jack said, wishing he knew how to turn the tears, and her fears, into smiles. "Come on, we'll take you there." She didn't move, so Jack gave her an encouraging smile, then beckoned with his hand as he soothed, "Come on."

But the little girl shook her head, terror causing her to jump up and move away. "No," she said, as she stared at them with a frightened look. "I want to, but I can't." She was crying now, crystal tears sliding effortlessly down her cheeks, and Jack was at a loss as to what to say. Maybe the kid didn't have a home to go to.

Still, he couldn't leave her here in the woods to freeze to death. "Come on," he said, while Carter reached out to her, but the child bolted. "Big surprise," he said sarcastically, but still, they ran after her, only to lose sight of her almost immediately. It was almost as if she disappeared in the night. But they could hear her sobs long after she was gone, the sound mixing in with the wind until Jack couldn't determine which was which. They stood there in silence, until he shook away the awful feeling of failure and galvanized his team into action again.

"Let's go," he ordered, a little more gruffly than he intended. "The town can't be that far ahead."

Teal'c once again led the way, while Jack and the others followed in silence. Jack couldn't help but worry about that kid, his fears magnified as the sounds of the night filtered in through his thoughts. Something howled in the distance, but the lights of the town ahead eased some of his fears. Surely the kid had a home to go to. She was so young, maybe only ten or eleven years old. How could anyone not take her in?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She remembered the inn. It was always warm and full of happy people, although sometimes there would be anger and fights when customers drank too much. But it was the warmth that she craved right now. She huddled next to the door, trying hard to feel warm again, while pressing her ear to the smoothness of the wood, hoping to hear the familiar sounds of happy customers. It was hard to hear over the low growling and mumbling of the demons that lived there, but sometimes she could just make out the sound of something familiar, something that touched her like no other.

Sometimes she thought she could hear her past.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The lights of the town lightened the night sky as Jack and his team neared the buildings. The streets were deserted, nothing but snow swirling in the wind, sweeping across the ground in random patterns and obliterating any signs of footprints. If the kid came this way, there was no sign of the path she took.

Sounds of laughter greeted them as they walked farther into the town. Jack turned toward the building where the noise came from, and was shocked to once again see the child; this time huddled in the doorway. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and she leaned against the door, as if listening for something.

"God," Daniel whispered, his anguish echoing Jack's feelings on the subject. The little girl must be an orphan. Why else would she be sitting outside that door? Anger swept through him as he thought about the people in the town and their obvious neglect of a child. Surely someone in this backwater town could take in a homeless kid.

"Is this your home?" Daniel asked of the child. She didn't respond, just stared at them with a sad expression, while the sound of voices grew louder. Someone was coming from inside the building.

"It's an inn," Daniel said, indicating the sign at the far end of the porch. "Marida's House," he read, while Jack briefly wondered if maybe the child was drawn to this place because of the extra rooms the place probably had. He turned back to ask her, but once again, he was facing emptiness.

"What the heck?"

"Okay," Daniel said, looking around at the landscape. "Where'd she go this time?"

That kid sure moves fast, Jack thought, as he pointed toward the other end of the porch. "Over there," he said just as the door opened.

"…And don't stay away for so long," the woman who opened the door said to someone who was behind her.

"I have a farm to take care of," the man said, as he followed her out. "The crops need tending to…" They both stopped when they saw Jack and his team, the woman's expression changing from mock scolding to a huge smile.

"Hello!" she said as she opened the door wider. "You look as if you are parched and hungry. Please come in and warm yourselves by the fire." She turned to look at her companion, her long, dark hair shimmering in the soft glow of the light coming from inside the building. "I mean it, Karden. I expect to see you in a few weeks time." Karden heaved a long-suffering sigh, but nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Daniel said, in answer to her offer. "But I'm afraid we don't have any currency."

"What about the child?" Teal'c asked, butting in to Daniel's explanation. "Will she be allowed to enter your establishment?"

"Of course," the woman said. "All are welcome." Her smile dimmed though, when she looked toward the place where Teal'c pointed. Her expression became wary, and she turned to look at them with a polite smile that held a touch of fear. "What child?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

"The greatest fear is the fear of the unknown." -- Nagaraja Hamza

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jack could only stare at the place where he last saw the little girl. She was gone, of course. Disappeared. Ran off, just as she had done every time she had shown her face. "She was right there," he said, as he scanned the vicinity. There were several buildings lining the streets, warm lamplight shining through the windows of some, yet it still seemed like such a lonely town.

"Come," the woman said, as she pulled her shawl tighter over her arms. She was staring out toward the end of the porch, shivering slightly as she spoke. "You are welcome at my fire. Please come in."

"Marida?" the man named Karden said softly. He was looking at the woman, who heaved a sigh, then turned to Jack and smiled softly.

"Please come in. My inn is the best in our region." Karden nodded and moved so that they could enter. He showed no signs of leaving now, his only concern seemed to be for the woman named Marida. Carter and Teal'c walked over to the steps, as Jack and Daniel glanced at each other in confusion. Jack shrugged and they followed their teammates in. He stopped at the door and looked back at Marida, who called out to the night, "Everyone is welcome in my inn." She took one last look around and shouted, "Everyone." There was no answer, except for the keening of the wind. She slumped her shoulders, then turned to follow Jack into the building.

"You change your mind, Karden?" a man behind a counter shouted out as they walked in. Jack looked around as a few of the other patrons laughed. He was in a large room, with what looked like a bar along one wall and a wide fireplace lining another. Several tables and chairs were set up to accommodate the inn's customers while a staircase led up to a second floor, presumably for travelers to stay the night. It looked like a scene right out of a revolutionary war film. He turned to thank the woman as she passed him, but she had lost interest in her guests and was staring at the floor.

"Couldn't resist Marida's charm, could you?" The man behind the bar was grinning broadly at Karden, who apparently didn't really have to go home to his crops after all. Jack looked at Karden, surprised to see him shake his head at his friend, then sent a nod toward Marida. The man's smile dimmed, as he stared at Marida, but she had pulled herself together.

"Come sit down," she said to Daniel. "All of you. Please sit. I'll bring you something to drink."

"We're fine," Daniel muttered, while Jack and Carter sat down at the table Marida indicated. Daniel and Teal'c joined them, but even though the atmosphere was light-hearted and warm, for some reason Jack couldn't relax.

"Everything all right, Marida?" asked the man behind the bar. He threw down the towel he had in his hands and walked around the counter to come over to her. "What has happened?"

"Nothing has happened, Sylvan," Marida said with a sigh as she wiped the table vigorously. "We have guests. Bring them our best ale."

There was some good-natured grumbling among the other patrons at that announcement, which Jack tried to ignore. The smell of food cooking had his stomach rumbling right along with the crowd. He was starving. He would have given his right arm to have whatever they offered. Their "best ale" sounded too good to be true.

"We don't have much in way of trade," Daniel said, apparently wanting to make sure Marida knew that they were broke. Jack so hoped it wouldn't matter, but he was fairly sure the American dollar wouldn't go very far on an alien planet.

"You have already paid for your meal," the woman said. She finally stopped wiping the table and looked up at them, her eyes misting with unshed tears. "It's rare when she brings strangers all the way to my door."

Jack and Daniel shared a puzzled look. Apparently, the woman knew the child they had met in the woods.

"Marida?" It was plain that Sylvan was worried.

"Tis nothing," she said again, although her expression stated otherwise. She sat down next to Carter and tried to pretend that her words were true, but even Jack could see that it was a huge effort on her part.

"These people saw a little girl on their way to town," Karden said, his voice indicating a hidden meaning.

"A little girl?" Sylvan said, his expression guarded as ominous whispers filled the room. This can't be good, Jack thought. He immediately tensed up, looking around to see the other customers were now staring at Jack and his team and talking amongst themselves, while sending curious gazes their way. A shiver ran down Jack's spine as his instincts kicked into gear. This was so not good.

"A little girl," he heard whispered more than once. "Do you reckon…?"

"Who else could it be?" The whispers grew louder, but Sylvan spoke up, the suspicious glare on his face made Jack subconsciously reach up to place his hand on his gun, even more nervous than he already was.

"What did she look like?" Sylvan demanded. Jack and Daniel both started to answer, but Sylvan was apparently bursting to hear more about the kid. "Where did you see her?

"In the woods," Daniel said, while Jack kept a vigilant watch over the others in the room. He saw that Teal'c was also on guard as he too looked around anxiously. "She was playing earlier in the day, then we saw her later on, freezing and saying she couldn't go home." Marida made a sound that sounded like a sob, prompting Sylvan to go over to her to place his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and grabbed the hand, hanging on tightly as a tear slipped down her cheek. Daniel noticed this as well, and he asked the question that Jack had been burning to ask ever since he met these people. "Do you know her?"

Karden nodded sadly, while Sylvan said with a mournful sigh, "Yes."

"She is my daughter," Marida told them. More tears sparkled in the candlelight, making her eyes seem huge. "She _was_ my daughter." The last was said in a low, sorrowful tone that nearly broke Jack's heart. But the words didn't ring true for him.

"Was?" he asked, wondering if the woman had maybe lost her mind along the way. He wouldn't accept any other explanation, especially the one that caused a sense of dread to fill him as the hairs on the back of his neck bristled. The others in the room nodded sadly, but Jack was in full-blown denial. "What? Did you disown her?"

"No," Marida said simply. She looked him full in the eye. "She was my baby. I could never willingly turn her away."

"Daria went out one day," Sylvan butt in, his eyes taking a far away gaze. "She loved to play in the woods near the edge of town. We have tried to stop her many times, but she always came running to us when we called, so we didn't make too much of a fuss." Marida was now staring at her hands as Sylvan told his story, but the man didn't notice. He was intent on relating what exactly happened to keep a little girl out in the cold. The room had gone quiet; the other customers were just as intent on hearing what he had to say as the members of SG-1 were.

"Then one day she did not come when we called."

Marida buried her face in her hands, but no one came to comfort her. They were all focused in on Sylvan. "We set out to look for her, many of our neighbors came out to help, but Daria was nowhere to be found." He turned his attention to Jack and his team, his voice now serious. "She was found six months later by a hunter who went looking for food."

A chill went down Jack's spine, just before Carter said, "Oh my God." Her eyes were wide, almost frightened, a feeling that Jack was trying hard not to share. This was impossible. There was no way he had been talking to a ghost just a little while ago.

"She said she was cold," Daniel said, obviously having a hard time in believing the tale as well. "She took Sam's blanket when it was offered to her." No one responded, but Daniel went on, as if he was trying to work it all out. "She spoke to us. How could she not be there?"

"It was a different child," Teal'c said with conviction. "There is no evidence that the young girl we encountered in the woods was indeed your daughter." Jack found himself nodding as he looked toward Sylvan. There really was no other explanation and he was glad Teal'c thought of this.

"There is a drawing," Karden said. He had been standing silently alongside the table as the drama unfolded, but his eyes were on Marida. He turned to look at Sylvan, who nodded at his friend. The silent communication unnerved Jack somewhat. He didn't really want them to prove Teal'c wrong.

Karden went over to a door that was next to the staircase and walked through it. Marida finally looked up, the sorrow in her face making her seem older. She rose and walked over to the window, her back toward them as she stared out into the darkness of the night. Jack knew her pain. Knew how hard it was to grieve over a dead child, but he couldn't go to her, nor think of a way to help her. He had his own demons to deal with. He would probably screw things up even if he tried. Instead he sat with his team, hoping that the proof they promised was nothing more than a false lead.

A woman came up to the table while they waited, bringing plates of food. Although everything smelled delicious, Jack wasn't really hungry anymore. Carter and Daniel, however, had gotten over their initial shock, and were looking at their food with interest. Even Teal'c picked up a spoon, so Jack decided to join in.

"Teal'c's right you know," Carter said, as she reached for the mug the woman set down next to her plate. "Ghosts don't exist, right?" She was looking at Daniel, who gave a reluctant nod as he shrugged his shoulders.

"There have been countless sightings throughout the ages," he told her in a matter-of-fact tone, although his expression seemed to go against his manner. "There have been reports all the way back to ancient civilizations. The Egyptians believed-"

"No matter," Teal'c interrupted, his tone somber. "The child we met in the forest was not a ghost."

"I agree with Teal'c," Jack said to add his two cents in. "There's no such thing."

"You are not the first strangers who have come here to tell us this," one of the other customers said. Jack looked over to see an old man sitting sideways in his chair to better watch the ongoing drama. "Daria has been seen by many others."

"This is true," Marida said from the window. She had turned back to face them, walking back over to the table to sit down again. "They described her to us and one man drew a picture of the child he had seen. There is no denying that the little girl in the woods is my daughter."

"Here is the proof," Karden said, as he waved something at them. He brought it over to the table and laid it down reverently. There was a picture of a child in what looked like a leather book, and another chill ran down Jack's spine when he looked closer at it. The resemblance was remarkable. The artist was extremely talented, as even the small scar on her chin was depicted in the drawing. Jack tried to cling to his denial, but it was hard when everyone else was telling him the same thing. The child he had talked to earlier in the day had been dead for God knows how long.

"That's the little girl we saw," Daniel said quietly.

"She won't come in," Marida said in the silence that followed Daniel's statement. "I have called to her, begged her to come in, but she never does." Fresh tears sprang up in her eyes as she looked up at Sylvan. "No matter what I say, she never comes in."

"She said she couldn't come home," Carter said with a great deal of sadness in her voice.

"You are afraid of her," Sylvan told her. "I know this is the reason why. She would come to you if you would just let go of your fear."

Marida shook her head in denial. "No. I love her. She is my daughter. I hate that she is out there cold and alone." She looked over at Jack, tears streaming down her face. "A few of those who saw her say that she huddles on our doorstep, almost as if she wanted to come in. I call out to her, but…" She shook her head and fell silent.

Jack didn't know what to tell her. He could see that her heart was breaking; yet there was nothing he could do. God, if he could only bring his own son back. He stopped that thought, knowing it didn't do any good to dwell, and turned his attention to the situation at hand. "I am so sorry for your loss," he told her, his heart aching with what she was going through. "But maybe if you just let go. Let her go on to a better place." His words sounded empty, even to his own ears, but he never really knew what to say in situations such as this.

She nodded, although he could tell that she wasn't going to take his advice. He dropped it then, knowing it wouldn't do any good. He turned to the food on his plate, which didn't seem to be all that appetizing any more, and he took a bite as he looked toward the window. Sadness filled his heart as he stared at the little girl standing outside and peering in. She gave him a sad smile before stepping back and disappearing into the night, leaving an imprint that he knew would last a lifetime.

She was a lost soul, a feeling Jack knew all too well.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The strangers had entered the inn, although she could tell they were hesitant. Daria watched them through the window, the warm glow of the fire making it easier to see through the veil that blocked her view. She squinted her eyes in hopes of seeing clearly, just this once, but as always, the demons of fear did everything they could to keep her out. She was not welcome there, no matter that her mother bid her to come in.

She knew that the veil wasn't really there, that those among the living couldn't see it. It was there only for her, and she mourned the loss of warmth and family as she watched the people in the inn. But the Traveler had told her why this was, that those who lived feared the unknown, and how they used their fear as a shield, protecting them from that which they cannot control. The same fear that made it difficult to see inside her mother's house kept her out in the cold and forever lost.

She missed the Traveler. He had found her in the woods as she relived the same day for what seemed an eternity. She was surprised when he told her that he too was among the dead, but she listened to everything he told her, hanging on to his every word as he explained why she was destined to go through the same death over and over again - playing in the morning, cold and lost in the afternoon, then tripping and hitting her head when she jumped over a fallen tree. She was free to do whatever she wanted after that, except go near those who feared her, which included her mother's house. But the Traveler also told her many other things to help her understand the ways of her new world, and she wished he were here now. He didn't know how to make the living understand that they were not in danger from her, but he did keep her company until he left to see the rest of the world, which was, as he told her, the same as he did when alive. He never settled down in life, nor would he in death.

Her attention was drawn to the strangers inside the inn. They knew of her fate. She could see it in their faces. The oldest man looked shocked, while the woman who had offered her a blanket sat in wide-eyed horror. She hoped that their shock would not turn to fear. Fear would keep her from getting near them again and she didn't want that. She liked them very much.

She thought about how the Traveler couldn't explain why some people could see her, and others could not. She supposed that it really didn't matter. The strangers inside the inn had treated her kindly, not like some of the others, and for that she was grateful.

Her mother got up and walked toward the window where Daria was peeking into. Daria watched as the veil turned a darker gray, almost completely blocking her view. She knew that her mother loved her and ached to have her near, but she also knew that her mother was too scared to let it happen. And the fear turned into darkness whenever Daria came near. Demons danced around her mother, demons that growled in deep and scary voices whenever she pressed her ear to her mother's door. The Traveler told her they weren't really demons, just images of fear, but Daria could not think of another name for them, so she continued to think of them that way.

The wind howled as she strained to see through the darkness of the veil. She hated that she couldn't ever go inside. She missed the warmth and the smells of her home. She wanted to go in and sit by the fire, like she used to do, smiling with happy thoughts as her father joked with the customers.

Her father was inside, standing next to her mother. He did not fear her as much as her mother did. She remembered that evening so long ago when she was able to get close enough to try to communicate with him. He did not see her, but she was determined to at least try to tell him what the Traveler had told her about her mother's fear. She didn't think her father heard her, as the demons of fear still kept her out. But sometimes, when he was out at night, he would call out to her as her mother did, begging her to come into the warmth.

Her mother walked away from the window to go sit back down next to the strangers. Daria knew that this time was no different than all the other nights she was kept from the warmth. She would not be welcomed this night either. She stared into the eyes of the stranger when he looked up at her, knowing deep down that he shared her loneliness. This thought cheered her a little, but she stepped back to find her way back to the woods - her second home in death as it was in life.

The End


End file.
